There were 3 graduates of Chelsea’s Cobham youth academy in the starting XI tonight: Mason Mount and Reece James, who look to be untouchable in the first team; plus Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who looks to be a regular as a rotation option at the very least.
Later in the game they were joined on the pitch by Trevoh Chalobah, then Conor Gallagher, then Armando Broja, all trained at Cobham.
Six academy players used in a meaningful Champions League game? It’s something fans could only have dreamed of a few years ago.
But now it’s not only a reality – it’s something so common that it’s barely noted.
The youth revolution has been so effective and total that those numbers barely raise an eyebrow now. Part Graham Potter’s job is to use young players that have been developed at home, but none of these guys are being thrown in unprepared. They’re all more than capable at this level, and that is a credit to our academy.
